The objectives of the pilot project core are to provide funding for innovative new research to test the hypotheses of investigators to generate preliminary data for future external grant submissions. Young investigators, those who have been funded by external sources for their work in the drug abuse field but have a new hypothesis that needs testing for its feasibility before seeking external funding, investigators who have been successful working in another area of biomedical research and have a hypothesis that utilizes that expertise to test a hypothesis in the drug abuse field. Collaborative projects among scholars from more than one of these groups will be given priority. Scholars from throughout the university will be encouraged to participate in this program and the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology will provide matching funds for all pilot projects funded. The scholars funded by this mechanism will have an advantage in seeking support from the School of Medicine Research Funding, the campus-wide A.D. Williams Research Program and the Presidents Research Initiative Program. All levels of the university administration will continue to be committed to support drug abuse researchers through this center of excellence and these other mechanisms It is impressive that scholars supported by the pilot project programs in the past have had at least a three times higher success rate with their external applications than the national average.